With the semester coming to a close, many students question how the end crept up so quickly. The semester’s end always brings mixed emotions: joy, anxiety, fear and doubt. Excitement fills the air as students dream wildly of all the wonderful things they will do over Christmas break, or not do, as they vegetate in their beds for days-something that is on the top of my list of things to do over winter vacation.But the end of the semester brings with it something not so wonderful: finals and final projects. The UGGs are everywhere as people text while preventing others from passing them on the sidewalk. Simultaneously, Mr. Senseless Question Asker and Inane Remark Maker takes it upon himself to annoy his group members as the smartest of the bunch makes plans to exclude the other members by doing all the work. There is a reason students are stirring: finals.

Finals are strategically placed after the Thanksgiving holidays every fall semester. It may have been done with the intent of stressing students over the entire holiday. Many students who take their grades way too seriously worry the minute they leave school for the break until the minute before they turn in the last final exam.

It’s an issue that, aside from moving the date of Thanksgiving to earlier in the month or later in the year, is impossible to remedy. Since neither is possible, generations to come will probably face the same issue as current students.

However, in the University’s defense, a pile-up of schoolwork is likely because the students procrastinated too long, and when the last few weeks of class rolled around, they were then met by an assignment (or assignments) from other classes. But hey, we all do it. It’s the end of the semester that makes the other 15 weeks matter. It’s the end of the semester that makes a student happy he persevered and attended class every opportunity. And hey, maybe we will all come out as better human beings when it’s all over. One can hope.

Fear not students, the end is nigh, and soon you will reap your rewards with a grade point average that will likely be lower than you expected because of some overlooked assignment or instructor who gets his jollies by giving students B’s instead of A’s. It’s the pass or fail that matters, and as long as the credit is received, then who cares.